Revealing The Unraveling
by Ink Runs Through My Veins
Summary: Maybelle is just a young woman who wants to stay away from drama and live her life peacefully. But the royal family is determined to ruin that when she is suddenly sucked into castle politics, assassination attempts, marriages and love triangles. It is up to her to save a lot of things, all while trying to keep from falling into a doomed love with the country's prince, Drew Hayden!


Revealing The Unraveling  
Silver Psychic

Kind of a Howl's Moving Castle setting without the storyline or the characters. Inspired by another picture...This seems to be a habit.

I don't own the characters. I attach strings to them and shout, "Dance marionettes! Dance for my pleasure!"

* * *

Chapter 1

"May? May! MAYBELLE!"

I pricked my finger. "Ouch! What ails you so much that you are desperate for my attention enough to make me hurt myself Dawn?"

Dawna waved away my complaints. "You know that was your own fault."

"Well unlike you, Miss Owner," I gave her a wink to let her know of my teasing. "I actually have to work for a living, so my tools of the trade are valuable to me."

She rolled her eyes again. "Enough with the Miss Owner stuff. A customer has requested your special veil again. Mr and Mrs. Jameson are finally getting married next week and would like to request–"

"A WEEK? Good God woman, you know my _**special**_ veils require at least _**two**_ weeks worth of attention! What in the world were you thinking? I can't make them that fast! And I've already got five orders on my tail, not even including my veils!"

Dawna winked. "No need to worry. They've offered to put extra money in to have theirs done ahead of schedule. But I know you'll do just as wonderful as you've always done."

I groaned and leaned back in my chair. "I want a raise. I don't want to be treated like some God-forsaken black slave. I'm British, not a miracle worker!"

"Nothing I can do about that." Dawna giggled before walking to the door. "Best not to keep the customers waiting, love. They'd like to talk with you and we don't want to loose valuable clients."

"I'd certainly like to loose you."

"I heard that!" She yelled playfully.

"Good!" I yelled back. "Now can you tell them its impossible unless I don't need to eat, sleep or breath?"

"No can do! You'll just have to forgo sleeping for awhile!"

I sighed and lifted my weary body off the chair to go meet with the clients. Dawna may have gone to business school, and knows everything there is to know about fashion, but she couldn't sew something together if her life depended on it. And so thats where I come in.

I was living in a tiny flat working long nights for small wages when Dawna found me. I wasn't the most talented seamstress out there, but as soon as I caught her eye she demanded I quit and come work for her. I thought she was crazy, but when I heard how much she would be paying me...well, I'd have to be dumber than a cow to turn that offer down. I moved in with her and into her smallest bedroom, became her only employee of her dress shop, _A Maiden's Voyage_, and have been living my life here ever since. But as much as I love Dawna, she works me like a slave.

With another resigned sigh, I squared my shoulders and walked as gracefully as I could out to the guest parlor, where Dawna usually received her guests.

Mr. and Mrs. Jameson were a fairly young couple. Although I was never one to listen to gossip, it was said that they eloped from somewhere farther up north than England. Mr. Jameson is the son of a Duke, and the Mrs. Jameson is the daughter of a struggling merchant. They met somehow and fell in love. When their families denied them matrimony, they ran away together. A true Romeo and Juliet story.

"Miss Maybelle!" Mrs. Jameson squealed as I walked into the room. "I'm looking forward to seeing what wonderful design you will come up with for my veil!"

I stifled another sigh (you'll notice I sigh very much when I feel I am overworked) and began asking for what she wanted.

For some reason, my wedding veils seem to be the most popular item in Dawna's shop. Most of the ladies who purchase them say that their marriages have been wonderful, their weddings even more enjoyable. Now, they say that every bride who wears one of my veils at her wedding will have a wonderful married life. Orders come in from everywhere, even outside England. It may be nice to be so reputable, but when people are constantly ordering veils, especially when I'm the only employee at _A Maiden's Voyage_, everything gets very overwhelming.

As Dawna waved goodbye to the leaving couple, I sank into the nearest armchair, groaning as I did so. "No more orders Dawn. I'm going to die. Six is all I can take."

Dawna nodded. "I understand. No more orders. In fact," She walked to the door and turned the sign stating we were open to _closed_. "I'll just close the shop for no distractions."

I sighed in relief. "Thanks Dawn. I'm going back to work."

"Shall I send dinner to your workspace?"

I groaned. "I'm going to be so busy I won't even have time for dinner. Can you believe Mrs. Fitzpatrick wanted real pearl beads sewn into her veil? I mean, I understand she paid for them herself, but sewing actual pearls into a veil? That seems a tad bit ridiculous does it not?"

Dawna shrugged. "The customer is always right, no matter how ridiculous he or she is."

"Oh I know. I just hate that rule and everything it stands for."

* * *

Another prick to my finger told me I was working too hard and needed my sleep.

The sun had long since dipped below the horizon and soon the moon would be setting as well. If I pricked myself anymore, the needle would eventually go right through my finger. I yawned and I put my needle down, smoothing my skirt as I slid from my working stool. "I really need to start picking up the pace."

As I put out the lamps, I took one last look out the window and a scream became strangled in my throat.

Luminous green eyes stared in from outside and pierced me. They were so beautiful I couldn't tell if they were a cat's or a human's. Somehow, I felt no obligation to look away from the creature's gaze. We stared at each other for what seemed like forever until I suddenly felt dizzy, weak almost.

My last thought was wondering if I was in over my head with all these orders.

* * *

"May? Oh my goodness! May! Wake up May!"

"Dawn." I groaned. "Wake me up later. I wanna sleep."

"Then sleep on your bed!"

_**That **_woke me up. I looked down to see that I was still in my working dress from last night. But how did I fall asleep on the floor? I remember putting my work away, but nothing else. Did something happen last night? Or was I just too tired to make it back to my bed?

"Do I need to give you the day off?" Dawna's concerned voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "Because I was thinking of closing the shop to head to the square and do some shopping. Our stock is getting a little low. Why don't you come along after you bathe and dress?"

I shook my head and pulled myself off the floor. "No, thats alright. Those orders won't finish themselves. Just...just pick me up a cake or one of my favorite tarts from Verona's won't you?"

Dawna nodded. "Alright. Just grab something from the cupboard for breakfast and I'll make sure to be back around lunch. Need anything while I'm gone?"

I thought for a moment. "I think we're out of rose-colored thread. And we could use some more of Didana's special lace, especially for Mrs. Norman's veil."

She nodded. "Alright. Anything else?" I shook my head. "Alright then. Be careful now. If you feel dizzy or faint just go lie down."

I rolled my eyes. "Yes Mother. Would you like to feed me with a bottle while I suck on my thumb?"

Dawna stuck out her tongue before closing the shop door behind her. As soon as she was gone I rushed upstairs. Sleeping in the same dress I had been working in gave me goosebumps.

* * *

After I was clean, adorned in a fresh dress and my stomach had been properly filled, I set to work on the veils. As the hours went by, I just lost myself. My hands knew what to do, as if they had a mind of their own. Unfortunately, that led me to think about last night. What in the world happened to me? It wasn't unusual for me to sleep downstairs when I put in extra hours, but usually I made it to the couch or an armchair. Something was wrong.

A shout from outside brought me out of my thinking stupor. Being the curious cat I was, I set my tools down and rushed to look out a window. Three men (drunks, from the way they staggered too much) had surrounded another man and backed him into Dawna's courtyard wall.. Before I could take a good look, I rushed outside. "Hey!" I shouted. "Don't you blokes have anything better to do than behave like this?"

One of the men stumbled over nothing. "Mind yer' own business lass, before ye' get inta any trouble."

"I will when I don't have to see you pigs loitering outside my business!" I spat. "Now get before I call a guard!"

Another man took a swig of the sherry he had in his hand. "This one's got some fire in 'er. Think we can fetch a good price for 'er?"

I shivered at his words. "You won't be selling anyone! Now get, the lot of you!"

"I dun' think so lassie." The last man tried to grab my shoulders, but he drunkenly stumbled and missed.

Kicking him where I knew it would hurt, I rushed into the throng of drunks to pull out the man who was being cornered. The first drunk tried to trip me, but I jumped over his leg and kicked him behind his knees. The second drunk smashed his sherry bottle against a wall and tried to hit me with it, but he was tripped by his friends leg. Seeing that all three men were on the ground, I tugged the cornered man's wrist and ran down the street. I didn't stop until we were a good ways away from that alley.

"Whew." I panted as I dropped the man's wrist and sat down on the curb, not caring if anyone were to see. "That was exciting." I turned to the man I saved. "Whats your name?"

The stranger smiled. "People call me Drew. Thanks for saving my tush back there."

I waved away his thanks. "Eh, no problem. Just one human helping another." I glanced at a clock in a nearby building. "Oh goodness! I need to be getting back! My employer will be worried." I pulled myself up and curtsied to Mr. Drew. "It was a pleasure to assist you."

He also stood up. "Why don't you allow me to accompany you back? It is the least I could after you helped me out."

I thought for a moment. Dawna would be hysterical, but it certainly would be entertaining. "Alright then," I held my arm out and he took it. "escort me. But if you hear the squealing of a nineteen year old woman, run away and run away fast."

I burst out laughing as he paled.

* * *

The walk back was mostly filled with chatter as we got to know each other better. At least with talking I could observe the man unabashedly. His green hair was like that of the April spring grass. His eyes were deeper than emeralds and...strangely cat-like. His face was chiseled like some sort of Grecian statue, making him the most handsome man I had ever met.

I was having such a grand time that I was disappointed as _A Maiden's Voyage _came into view.

"Well," I started as I stepped in front of the shop. "it has been a pleasure meeting you Drew." I couldn't help but wink. "Try and keep away from alleyways from now on. You never know what may be lurking there."

He winked back. "Even if it means meeting a girl like you?"

I blushed and was about to flirt back when the front door suddenly slammed open. "Maybelle!" Dawna raced to me, tripped over her skirt and sent the two of us sprawling out on the sidewalk.

I groaned in pain. "What ails you now?"

"Queen Solidad and Princess Zoey are here and asking for you!"

...Oh dear God!


End file.
